The incident happened on Longfellow Walk in Hartlepool at 10am last Friday (June 19) and involved a Surron electric dirt bike. 

Cleveland Police believe the bike was removed from the scene before officers arrived – with the rider taken to hospital for treatment.

The force said it believed the bike was seen in the Brierton Lane area of Hartlepool before the crash and is keen to speak to anyone who saw it or witnessed the incident. 

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101, quoting reference number 118253

It comes as part of a Government effort to reduce the use of hotels as accommodation and use more military barracks.

The base, located in the village of Linton-on-Ouse, was previously considered in 2022, but the controversial plan to house 1,500 asylum seekers there was abandoned following local opposition and a legal challenge from the council.

The protests in Linton-on-Ouse against previous plans, which were dropped in August 2022 (Image: Pic supplied)

In a story published by The Press in November last year, a Conservative North Yorkshire councillor said any potential move to house asylum seekers there would be resisted in the “strongest possible terms.”

The new proposal also involves using Ministry of Defence sites in Bicester in Oxfordshire and Barnham in Suffolk which in total would house 3,750 asylum seekers.

The Government is also looking to extend the use of existing sites in Crowborough, East Sussex until 2030 and Wethersfield in Essex) beyond 2027.

The initiative comes in the wake of a significant decrease in the number of asylum seekers temporarily housed in UK hotels.

According to Home Office figures published last month, the number stood at 20,885, marking a 35 per cent drop from the previous year.

At its peak, in September 2023, the number of asylum seekers in hotels was as high as 56,018.

‘This is a system being brought back under control – and we will not stop until the job is done’

The issue of housing asylum seekers in hotels became controversial last year, sparking protests outside some sites.

Today, the Home Office announced the closure of 20 more hotels that were previously used to house asylum seekers.

This move is part of a broader strategy to shift from using hotels to former military sites for accommodating asylum seekers.

Labour has pledged to halt the use of asylum hotels by the next election.

Border security and asylum minister Alex Norris said: “We promised to close every asylum hotel and hand them back to communities, and that is exactly what we are doing.

“Twenty more hotels have closed, and hotel numbers have more than halved since their peak.

“Instead, we’re moving asylum seekers into ex-military sites that are a far cry from the hotels the last Government left us with.

“This is a system being brought back under control – and we will not stop until the job is done.”

The news of these plans comes ahead of fresh immigration reforms set to be introduced to Parliament next week.

The Refugee Council’s Imran Hussain said: “Moving refugees from unsuitable hotels to unsuitable former military sites is storing up problems for the next prime minister by repeating policies that failed in the recent past. It would be wise to rethink this approach.”

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for Friday, covering 75 areas across the UK. The alert is in place from 12am until 10am, with 60mph winds and flooding risks expected.

The Met Office has issued a fresh thunderstorm warning in the wake of this week’s heatwave.

A yellow alert is in force from 12am until 10am on Friday, covering the East Midlands, London and the South East, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Wales.

Thunderstorms are forecast to sweep northeastwards during the early hours, with the potential to bring 60mph winds and 2mm/hr of rainfall, according to the Met Office. Its forecast warned: “There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.

“Where lightning strikes or flooding occurs, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

“There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds.

“Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.”

Thunderstorms can heighten the risk of flash floods and power cuts, and the weather agency is urging people to stock up on batteries and torches, as well as putting together an emergency flood kit ahead of the severe weather, reports the Express.

Areas under the thunderstorm warning:

East Midlands

• Derby
• Derbyshire
• Leicestershire
• Nottingham
• Nottinghamshire

London & South East England

North East England

• Darlington
• Durham
• Gateshead
• Hartlepool
• Middlesbrough
• Newcastle upon Tyne
• North Tyneside
• Northumberland
• Redcar and Cleveland
• South Tyneside
• Stockton-on-Tees
• Sunderland

North West England

• Blackburn with Darwen
• Blackpool
• Cheshire East
• Cheshire West and Chester
• Cumbria
• Greater Manchester
• Halton
• Lancashire
• Merseyside
• Warrington

South West England

• Bath and North East Somerset
• Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
• Bristol
• Devon
• Dorset
• Gloucestershire
• North Somerset
• Somerset
• South Gloucestershire
• Swindon
• Torbay
• Wiltshire

Wales

• Blaenau Gwent
• Bridgend
• Caerphilly
• Cardiff
• Carmarthenshire
• Ceredigion
• Conwy
• Denbighshire
• Flintshire
• Gwynedd
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Monmouthshire
• Neath Port Talbot
• Newport
• Powys
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea
• Torfaen
• Vale of Glamorgan
• Wrexham

West Midlands

• Herefordshire
• Shropshire
• Staffordshire
• Stoke-on-Trent
• Telford and Wrekin
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Conurbation
• Worcestershire

Yorkshire & Humber

• East Riding of Yorkshire
• North Lincolnshire
• North Yorkshire
• South Yorkshire
• West Yorkshire
• York

Callum Kerr, 35, died after police were called at around 2.25 am on Monday, June 22, to reports of a man behaving aggressively onboard a plane travelling inbound from Larnaca, Cyprus.

There were reports that another passenger and a member of the cabin crew had been assaulted by the man.

On arriving at the scene, officers found a man, since identified as Mr Kerr, being restrained by passengers and aircrew at the back of the plane.

Police handcuffed Mr Kerr but found he was unresponsive and performed CPR before he was taken by paramedics to hospital.

Mr Kerr died in hospital on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 23, with a tribute from his loved ones describing him as “a family man, father to three beautiful young children, a lover of sport and with a heart of gold!”

Greater Manchester Police say that a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The incident was reported at Manchester Airport (Image: Newsquest)

Chief Superintendent Mike Allen said: “Firstly, my thoughts are with Callum’s family and all those impacted by this incident.

“An investigation is now underway to establish what happened during the flight and our specialist officers have been keeping them updated with all the information we know so far.

“I know there were many people on the flight who witnessed the violence and disruption prior to officers’ arrival.

“We know passengers and aircrew worked to detain the man to bring the incident to an end.

“Our detectives are investigating this to understand the full circumstances.

“It is mandatory for a referral to be made to the IOPC.

Police have identified the man as 35-year-old Callum Kerr (Image: GMP)

“We will fully assist with their investigation into the actions of the police, where our officers have been independently declared as witnesses rather than being investigated for their conduct.

“Policing is a challenging profession, and we are supporting them through this process.

“Support continues to be provided to the man’s family and loved ones during this time.”

The referral to the IOPC is mandatory because the officers came into contact with Mr Kerr before his death and does not indicate any misconduct by the officers.

The force says that while the IOPC is investigating the actions of its officers, detectives from its Major Incident Team are investigating the circumstances on the flight prior to police arrival.

MIAMI (AP) — The reach of the Supreme Court’s decision allowing President Donald Trump’s administration to end temporary legal protections for Haitian and Syrian immigrants may extend to many other countries.

Thursday´s decision directly applies to about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, but may be a sign of what´s in store for nearly 1.3 million people from 17 countries on Temporary Protected Status. Many have lived and worked in the United States for decades and have American children.

The decision exposes TPS holders from Haiti and Syria to potential detention and deportation. It could also pave the way for hundreds of thousands of other beneficiaries with pending asylum claims or other immigration relief to be forced to leave the country.

Venezuelans are the biggest beneficiaries of TPS

TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife. When Trump took office, Venezuelans comprised the largest group of beneficiaries, followed by Haitians and Salvadorans.

TPS protections are available only to people who have been continuously present in the U.S. since the date of designation. The Department of Homeland Security can extend it in increments of up to 18 months.

The Trump administration has argued that immigrants were poorly vetted after former President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration dramatically expanded the designation, and says countries are safe for return. Trump’s government has ended TPS for about 1 million people from 13 countries, including about 650,000 from Venezuela and 50,000 from Honduras. Decisions are looming for about 200,000 Salvadorans and 100,000 Ukrainians whose protections expire soon.

Other countries with smaller numbers include Afghanistan, Myanmar, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.

The impact may extend far beyond Haitians and Syrians

People of all nationalities whose TPS was ended by the Trump administration have filed dozens of lawsuits. Many of these cases are still ongoing, and judges will closely examine the Supreme Court’s decision.

The government argued that DHS, not judges, had sole authority to end the protections. The court’s 6-3 conservative majority agreed, paving the way to end protections for Haitians and Syrians.

“The decision is definitely bad news,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, co-director of the Miñana Family Center for Immigration Law and Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles, and one of the attorneys who represented Syrians. “The implication of this is that at least most of the claims that have been litigated to challenge this administration’s sort of illegal war on TPS are now foreclosed.”

Immigration lawyers maintain that both countries are in crisis and that people cannot return safely. They asserted that the administration neither assessed conditions in those countries nor consulted other government agencies, as required by law.

It may take a month for the ruling to take effect

Supreme Court decisions generally take effect 32 days after being announced, said Emi MacLean, a senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, which represents Venezuelans, Haitians, Hondurans, Nicaraguans and Nepali TPS holders.

With its decision, the Supreme Court is sending the case back to the lower courts to implement the ruling, and that is not expected to be before July 27, according to MacLean and other attorneys. In the meantime, they said, Haitians and Syrian TPS holders could continue working.

“In 32 days, everyone from Haiti and from Syria who held their employment authorization through TPS will most likely lose that authorization,” Arulanantham said.

Lawyers urge TPS holders to pursue other avenues

Lawyers and activists are urging individuals with TPS to seek other avenues to remain in the country. They may include asylum or employment-based visas, although the government has also made those options increasingly difficult.

Many may have to choose between voluntarily returning to their home country or facing deportation proceedings. They could lose their jobs and be separated from their U.S.-born children.

Each beneficiary would return to the immigration status they had before receiving TPS, unless that status has expired or the person has successfully acquired a different status, for example, as an asylee.

Advocates and attorneys representing TPS beneficiaries from Haiti and Syria claim that while protections are intended to be temporary, conditions in the countries have not yet improved to allow these individuals to return safely.

The law requires that the DHS secretary consult with other government agencies before designating a country for TPS. Although these other agencies are not specified, these consultations could involve the Department of State, the National Security Council and the Department of Justice.

TPS beneficiaries from Haiti and Syria claim that other agencies were not consulted and that the decision was premeditated without considering conditions in those countries.

Haitians were first granted TPS in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake, with extensions given as gang violence displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.

Syrians were first granted TPS in 2012 during a civil war that lasted decades until the fall of the national government in late 2024.

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Offers of help were made by various governments, including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X that the United States is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela”.

Jeremy P Lewin, the US undersecretary of state for foreign assistance, said the State Department had mobilised a disaster assistance team and task force to organise aid in co-ordination with the interim Venezuelan government.

Ms Rodriguez said that Qatar had already sent rescuers who were expected to arrive within the next day, along with rescue personnel from Mexico and El Salvador.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, once diametrically opposed to Venezuela’s government, said in a post on X that he had offered aid. “We send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela,” Mr Bukele wrote.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a child was found at a Surrey property.

Police swooped on an address in Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey around 5.40pm following concern for her safety.

Officers found a three-year-old girl dead inside the semi-detached home.

A 31-year-old man was found suffering a serious injury at the property.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder taken to hospital and will be taken into custody once he has been treated.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: ‘At this stage our enquiries lead us to believe that this took place within a family setting and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.’

The Senior Investigating Officer from the Major Crime Team said: ‘This is a tragic incident, and our officers are working hard to build a picture of what happened.

‘We have made an arrest in connection with this incident and at this stage, we are not looking to identify anyone else in connection with our investigation.

‘We have no reason to believe there is any risk to the public.’

‘There is a significant police presence in Pyrcroft Road and this will remain over the coming days.

‘We appreciate that the incident itself, as well as the significant police presence, will be concerning for local residents and we would like to thank them for their cooperation as we conduct our investigation. We will provide further updates as soon as we are in a position to.’

A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after police found a three-year-old girl dead inside a semi-detached home in Surrey on Thursday June 25

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a child was found at a Surrey home.

Police rushed to an address in Pyrcroft Road, Chertsey around 5.40pm following concern for the young girl’s safety. At the scene officers found a three-year-old girl dead inside the semi-detached home.

A 31-year-old man was found suffering a serious injury at the property, he was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder.

A force spokesperson said: “A murder investigation has been launched after a child’s body was discovered in Chertsey earlier this evening (25 June). Officers were called to an address in Pyrcroft Road around 5.40pm following reports of a concern for safety. On arrival, a three-year-old girl was sadly found dead inside the property.

“A 31-year-old man was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder. He was taken to hospital with a serious injury and will be taken into custody once he has been treated.

“At this stage our enquiries lead us to believe that this took place within a family setting and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. An investigation, led by Surrey Police’s Major Crime Team, is underway to establish the circumstances of the girl’s death.”

The Senior Investigating Officer from the Major Crime Team said: “This is a tragic incident, and our officers are working hard to build a picture of what happened. We have made an arrest in connection with this incident and at this stage, we are not looking to identify anyone else in connection with our investigation. We have no reason to believe there is any risk to the public.”

“There is a significant police presence in Pyrcroft Road and this will remain over the coming days. We appreciate that the incident itself, as well as the significant police presence, will be concerning for local residents and we would like to thank them for their cooperation as we conduct our investigation. We will provide further updates as soon as we are in a position to.”

If you have any information which could help our investigation, please contact us via direct message quoting PR/SYP-20260625-0759. If you do not wish to leave your name, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The council also defended the ‘failed’ pothole repairs

Peterborough City Council has rubber-stamped plans to carry out highway repairs to road surfaces across the city that have deteriorated due to extreme weather.

At a Cabinet meeting held on June 23, the council approved a works order of £1 million to the authority’s highways partner, M Group, to carry out a series of jobs aimed at treating roads within the council’s boundaries. Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Transport, noted how extreme weather is having a “major effect” on the condition of Peterborough’s highway surfaces.

“It is vitally important that we act now,” he said, “and by agreeing this positive programme of works, we will help ensure that our highways are in an excellent condition for all road users and prevent key routes having to close in future.”

Some headlines have appeared in the press recently questioning the quality of M Group’s pothole repairs elsewhere across the Eastern region. During discussion, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Cllr Neil Boyce, asked councillor Ellis: “What warranty we hold with M Group over works that they’ve done?”

Cllr Boyce posed the question after stating: “We’ve recently had issues with road surfaces that have been resurfaced failing within 12 months.”

Cllr Ellis replied: “Resurfacing works carried out through the M Group contract are subject to a ‘Defects Period’ – any issues due to poor construction during this time would result in the contractors having to return to make good.”

Cllr Ellis added that the Defects Period lasts for a year. The Cabinet Member for Transport then invited James Collingridge, Service Director for Property, Infrastructure and Highways to elaborate on why some roads are more likely to need re-fixing more frequently than others.

Mr Collingridge explained that roads – especially those in rural areas – built on peat soils are far more prone to undulations (potholes) reappearing within 12 months of initially being repaired. Being roughly 80 to 95 per cent water makes peat highly compressible, so it continuously expands, contracts, and shifts with weather changes, creating voids beneath the tarmac which ultimately lead to buckling, cracks, and large craters.

“[Follow-up repairs] are not always due to poor workmanship,” the Service Director noted: “It’s due to the issues we’ve got with the peat soil.”

Mr Collingridge said first-hand inspection is the best way to determine the actual cause of re-appearing potholes in rural areas: “Where we have a Defects Period, we go out and we would assess whether it is due to poor workmanship or whether it is due to the actual underlying issue.”

Funds for this project were approved as part of the council’s budget for 2026/27, with £1 million allocated to repair roads that have suffered from the effects of drier winters and warmer summers in recent years.